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Friday, 1 July 2011

It says E-tags and Cash only

I blogged and tweeted how I felt OUTsurance had let me down with an insurance claim and they decided to review my case and pay out (see previous blog) so I decided to redress the balance and tell you about the time, last month, I had a blow out whilst driving home from Pilanensburg late one evening.

I was with a colleague of Peter's and offered to take him on Safari, Pilanensburg is a 2 hour drive from us, a trip I'd done twice before with the family.

At 8pm in the dark, the rear drivers side tyre blew, I was travelling in the outside lane at 120km/per hour and I reacted well, avoiding the traffic as I came to a halt on the hard shoulder...

My mobile had run out of talk time so using my friends phone I called OUTsurance, typical, being a Danish phone it wouldn't dial a free phone number so I rang Peter with our details, he called OUTsurance who rang me back straight away...

'Where are you?'

'I'm at a toll on the N1 north of Pretoria'

'Are you alone?'

'No, I am with a male friend and the toll booth security people have sent someone to wait with us'

'OK I'll get Premier Tow with you within 33 minutes ma'am, can you tell me your exact location?'

'I'm sorry there's no signs'

'OK, what does it say on the toll sign?'

Honestly I was in hysterics with my answer, so was my friend...

'It says E-tags and Cash Only...does that help?'

The poor guy was laughing ' no ma'am that doesn't help...use your GPS to find out where you are'

So Premier Tow arrive within 33 minutes, park behind me, set up 3 cones by the wheel and starts to change the tyre...

OUTsurance ring me to check he has arrived, text me several times to confirm I am still OK, the toll guy drives off after establishing we weren't really having a picnic as my friend told him when he asked why we were sitting on the bank at this time of night in the dark and my friend has made Precision Tow, move his car back on an angle, put up the warning triangle much further dowen the road and moved the cones where they were more effective.

So thank you OUTsurance for making my breakdown a pleasurable experience.